Envelope opener



April 15, 1952 F. c. IFFLAND 2,592,699

ENVELOPE: OPENER Filed oct. 4, 194e 2 SHEETS-SHEET l April 15, 1952 F. c. u-FLAND ENVELOPE OPENER 2 SHEETS SHEET 2 Filed 001,. 4, 1946 INVENTOR.

Patented pr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT vo1=i=1 nz NVELPE OPENER Frederick C. I'fand, Blisseld, Mich.v Application October 4, 1946;Serial No. 701,379

.A g `1 l yThisinvention relates to.' envelope openers.

.This invention has utility Whenwinc'orporated in an attractive, compact stationery accessory, for expeditiously trimming an edgeffromian envelopein such a manner that the envelope sides arel easily spread apart for access to the contents and at the same time insuring against'any severing or other damage to such contents.

A primary object of the invention isto provide means for imparting a true` shearing laction `to an envelope for removing just Va suiiicient widththereof to` fully open oneedge.

Another object ofthe inventionisf to impart aV shearingwhich removes slightly more stock from one side of the envelope than the other so the edges are oilset thereby facilitating opening of the envelope. l

` Still another object of. the invention is to provide an envelope opener wherein alblade and a cooperating cutting edge of a knife are maintained in constant predetermined 'relationship including' compensation for any ivear of either. Anadditional object of' the' invention isv to provide means insuring a smooth and even operation of the parts throughout the cutting operation together With an eiective absorption of any shocks against the parts Vupon completion of the shear or upon resettingof the parts.

Other objects'and advantages of `this invention relating to the arrangement, operation Vand function of the related elements of the structure, tovariousdetails i of construction; to combination of parts-and to' economies of vmanufacture Will be apparent -to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description and appended claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings `forming a `part of the specification wherein like *reference characters designate corresponding parts' inthe several view's.` Referring to thedrawingsz Fig. l is a front elevation of an envelope opener I embodying 'features of the invention herein;

. Fig. 2 is an end View of the device fromthe lett of Fig. 1;

Y Fig. 3 is a front .elevation of the device,` with thedoor in open position;

.Fig lrisa view on the line IV-IV,Fig. 3;

YfF'igw is a view onthe line VI-VI, Fig. 3;

rliig. 7 is af diagrammatical showingof the cut orslieai'performed by themechanism herein; and l 8` isa section .through a `preferred.type of .knife andublade construction.

Base plate l0 is provided witha cushion bottom surfacecovering l2 such. asta felt. pad,: sponge rubber or Athe likeA and has its edges configured to form a trimfi4 Aalong one side `and the ends, the remainingfside. forming 'one partof a hinge structure i6. A housingismounted on' the plate lo` and comprisesaback` I8, sides 20 and top 22, While completing the Vhousing'is a cover plate or door 24 swingable on the hinge IB, which cover or` door'may be shifted to expose thehousinginterior and in closed p'ositionrso heldwby-a suitable snap fastener. 26. This housing may. be of every light sheet r metal strengthened by pressed` ribs 'distributedrin any suitable and attractive' design. l

Within. the housing and aixedwto theifbase plate ll, vis a' main frame member 28 ofrLi-shape having. 'its` opposing arms VBil Lagainst thei sides 20. r Flat against eacliarm 30 `is` a pair of'parale lel spaced bars 32 dening' a slidev'vay 34 .there-V between, the bars being positionedbyfrneanslof pins 35 :extending therethrough into the iarms 3u" and held thereagainst byrsome suitable faste ening technique.

`Mounted on the pairV of opposing bars 32'. adjacentthe door124, and alsolpositioned by the pins' 36, is any H-shaped` support having its upd wardly `extending portions` 46;'42, togetherfwith its 'downwardly 4extend-ing portions 44, 46, against thebars` 32. :Screws 48 mount blade.4 5i! on the cross portion-of the 'support 38"tokhave its? cutting edge -52 disposedalong a` predefY termined line. The arms 40,? 42;` 44 and 46 extending along the barsr32 i adjacent the" Ways `34 "have the cross-piece extend; therebetween.

'Disposed in each slide :Wayf34 is a sliderv54 which is reciprocal therein. .Theupper termini of saidslides 54 are connected by cross-headie which has a pair of rods. 5B affixed thereto intermediate its length, the `rods extending throughbushings `to the housing exterior on which is mounted the operating handle '62. De'- pressingl this handle 62 moves the slides 54vv down wardly in their respective ways. The' terminal forceor shock of the slidesstriking the bottom ofthe waysis absorbedby stopsin the form of pads 64 held in placeV byclips 66 which in turn are mounted in position on the frame by tubular cup members 68 spaced inwardly from the arms 36 and whose additional function is hereinafter `more fully described.

Carried by and between the slides 54 and at tached thereto by rivets 'IU is the knife carrier. This `may be a sheet metal stamping `having slide engaging ears 12,' anda skirt 'I4 parallel to and slightly spaced fromthel cutting 'edge'.52.

The plane of this skirt is spaced the distance from the cutting edge equal to the width of the stock to be trimmed from the envelope. This skirt depends from a pocket 16 diagonally extending from the slide on one side upwardly or downwardly as the case may be, to the opposing slide. This stamping is further provided with a pair of plate portions 18 extending from the pocket in the opposite direction from the skirt 14 and in the same plane.

A pair of stems 80 depend from this stamping coaxial with the cups 88 and springs 82 about these stems and seated in the cups serve as means to return the slides and carrier to their normal position following depression by the handle 82. Depression of the handle 62 works against the resistance of these springs which in turn have suicient expansion force to reset the released handle.

The cross-head 58carries a spring leaf 84 at each end thereof and held in place by clips 86, which spring leaves abut bridge elements 88 across the upper ends of the slide ways 34 for absorbing the shock of the return stroke of the parts. Also when this portable device is picked up by the handle 82, there is a cushioning effect as the lift of the crosshead is transferred to the frame and housing.

Mounted in the pocket 'I6 is one leg 90 of an L-shaped member, the other leg 92 providing a knife edge 94 which in device operation coacts with the cutting edge 52 of the blade 50 to perform a true shearing operation. This knife member is continuously urged toward the blade by springs 96 bearing against the leg 90, which springs are mounted on pins 98 (herein shown as a pair of bolts) carried in stirrups mounted.

on the exterior of the pocket providing slide portion 16. The termini of the knife edge carrying leg 92 slide along the inner cam faces |02, |04, of the pair of bars 32 adjacent the door or cover plate 24. The face |02 is parallel to its adjacent way 34 while the face |04 slants upwardly and away from its adjacent Way 34. The knife bearing against these cams throughout its stroke, due to the springs 96, cooperates with the blade for a true shear. That is, as the knife edge progressively travels along the blade, due to the diagonal disposition of the knife,`there is a slight progressive warping of the knife as it wipes or rather shears along to cut the object placed in position for trimming.

The door or cover plate 24 is provided with a shelf or chute |06 approximately on a 30 angle upwardly and outwardly from the plane of the blade. An envelope |08 placed in said chute has the edge to be severed directed against the skirtV This insures complete envelope opening and avoidance of damage to the envelope contents.

By the angular disposition of the directing and holding chute, the stock is severed so that the edges of the ilat sides of the envelope are offset and this facilitates spreading the sides apart for access to the interior. The envelope is held in position throughoutthe cut for as portions of the knife pass beyond the cut line, the plate portions 18 prevent the envelope from twisting.

While the device is primarily for opening envelopes and may be constructed to accommodate any size envelope and set for any type of stock or width of cut, it is obvious stacks of sheet material may also be trimmed where it is desired to have the successive sheets offset.

The door gives access to the interior for reset or cut adjustment and also removal of the cuttings l0 which accumulate in the lower region of the housing.

While the construction heretofore described has an inherently smooth and easy operation, additional slidestabilizing means may be provided. To this end each slide 54 is provided with a, pin ||2, each being engaged by a slotted arm ||4 which arms are in turn xedly mounted on a common shaft I6 carried by and between a pair of opposing bars 32. This insures against any binding through any cant of the movable parts.

It is to be noted the lower termini of the operating rods 58 justv clear the roof of the pocket 16 (Fig.3) so that if the cut is through heavy stock, the resistance causes sufficient warping or spring in the cross-head (which serves as a bridge between the slide ends) to bring these termini in contact with the knife carrier so there is direct thrust thereof from the handle 62.

The leg 92 of the knife may be tapered in cross section toward the edge 94 (Fig. 8) and the blade 50 undercut away from its cutting edge 52. The openings ||8 for the blademounting screws'48 through the support 38 are `of slot form so there may be any desired adjustment between the cutters.

There is thus provided a simple yet eicent dyevice of the class described, employing a true shearing action on an angularly positioned envelope defeating any buckling of the stock along the line of cut orrolling or bunching between the cutting elements to cause the operating parts to become clogged or wedged against free and full operation. The operating parts below the cut line are fully protected from accumulating trimmings.

' It is `to be understood that the above detailed description of the present invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to those skilled inthe art, but that the invention is not to be construed as limited in its applicationV to the details or construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. The language used in the specification relating to the operation and function of the elements of the invention is employed for purposes of description and not limitation, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the following claims beyond the requirements of the prior art. y

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. In a device of the class described, a frame providing a pair of opposing ways, a slide in said ways, an H-shaped member mounted on said frame having arms adjacent said ways with a connecting cross-piece therebetween, a knife carried by said slide, means urging said knife against the cross-piece and outwardly from its adjacent way.

3. In an envelope opener, a blade providing a cutting edge, a cooperating knife diagonally disposed to the blade cutting edge and reciprocal thereto, a pair of cams extending away from said blade against which said knife slides in its reciprocation, one of said earns extending outwardly from said blade cutting edge and also away from the plane thereof, and spring means maintaining said knife in cam engaging relationship, whereby the knife progressively passes along the blade cutting edge in the shearing operation with a wiping movement.

4. In an envelope opener, a frame providing a pair of opposing ways, a slide reciprocal in said ways, a knife carried by said slide, a blade mounted by said frame positioned to cooperate with said knife, a cross-head engaging the slide ends and extending as a bridge therebetween, an operating handle mounted on said crosshead, and means between said cross-head and slide intermediate the slide ends to transfer force from the handle direct to said slide when resistance to the cutting operation causes warping of the cross-head.

FREDERICK C. IFFLAYD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 605,093 Fox June 7, 1898' 606,261 Yates June 28, 1898 737,230 Hatton Aug. 25, 1903 766,388 Robertson Aug. 2, 1904 784,136 Blomgren Mar. '3, 1905 890,300 Reinhold June 9, 1908 998,289 Hall July 18, 1911 1,389,881 Kraut Sept. 6, 1921 1,416,800 Detjen May 23, 1922 1,731,413 Glasser Oct. 15, 1929 2,022,198 Hartley Nov. 26, 1935 2,240,975 Barbour May 6, 1941 2,312,971 Norrid Mar. 2, 1943 2,430,588 Simmons Nov. 11, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 358,864 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1931 746,545 France Mar. 14, 1933 

